If they put their enemies to death with fearful tortures, they did not
treat them more severely than the traitors they discovered among
themselves, and if they had no pity for those they conquered, yet they
knew well how to admire great leaders, and how to serve them
faithfully. But we can best realise their ideas on these matters by
considering their religion and their stories.
They worshipped one chief god, Odin, and other gods and goddesses who
were his children. Odin was often called All-father because he was the
helper and friend of human beings, and appeared on earth in the form
of an old man, "one-eyed and seeming ancient," with cloud-blue hood
and grey cloak. He had courage, strength, and wondrous wisdom, for he
knew all events that happened in the world, and he understood the
speech of birds, and all kinds of charms and magic arts. Men served
him by brave fighting in a good cause, and when they perished in
battle he received their souls in his dwelling of Valhalla in the city
of Asgard, where they spent each day in warfare, and where at evening
the dead were revived, the wounded healed, and all feasted together in
Odin's palace. There they fed upon the flesh of the boar Saehrimner,
which was renewed as fast as it was eaten. Certain maidens called
Valkyrie, or Choosers of the Slain, were Odin's messengers whom he
sent forth into the battles of the world to find the warriors whom he
had appointed to die, and to bring them to Valhalla.
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